Guy Ullens, a Belgian billionaire and pioneering collector of Chinese contemporary art, has died at age 90. The news was announced by the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, which he co-founded. Ullens began collecting Chinese antiquities in the 1980s before shifting to contemporary works, amassing a collection of 1,500 to 2,000 pieces by artists such as Ai Weiwei, Liu Xiaodong, and Zeng Fanzhi. He and his late wife Myriam established the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing's 798 Art Zone in 2007, later selling it to Chinese investors in 2017, after which it was renamed UCCA. Ullens also helped build the secondary market for Chinese contemporary art, notably selling Zeng Fanzhi's 'The Last Supper' for $23.3 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2013, a record at the time.
Ullens' death marks the end of an era for Chinese contemporary art collecting. He was among the first international collectors to champion Chinese artists, bringing them global recognition and helping to catalyze a wave of private museums in China. His legacy endures through UCCA, which continues to operate as a leading institution, and through the artists he supported, many of whom gained international prominence thanks to his early patronage. His impact on the art market and institutional landscape in China remains significant.